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Monday, 29 February 2016

It's been quite an overwhelming month of hard-hitting Oscar movies! I've never felt so cold in all my life, both physically and mentally (thanks, The Revenant and Spotlight) nor have I cried so many tears (here's looking at you, Room), and so I'm looking forward to a much lighter March! Here's some fun trivia for all the movies we've reviewed this month.

Leonardo DiCaprio states in an interview that he had witnessed Arthur RedCloud (Hikuc) eating bison on the set all day and when the scene came for him to eat the bison liver, they gave him this red gelatinous "pancake" that looked so unrealistic that he decided to eat the real thing in the scene. He admitted that he "would never, never do that again".

There is so much great trivia for this movie it was so hard to pick but this highlights to me how committed DiCaprio is as an actor.

The health and safety team on the film were concerned about the cast filming with sheep, but let Carey Mulligan ride a horse and she had a concussion after coming off. When she and Matthias Schoenaerts shot the last scene of the film, she came racing round the corner and got thrown off and landed on her head. Ten minutes later, they were filming the big declaration scene and she just dropped to her knees. Schoenaerts thought she was acting and just carried on, and then she slumped over. Mulligan told that she was genuinely concussed for about six weeks of the filming and there are parts that she doesn't remember.

In February 2016, it was announced that the producers of this film were developing a spin-off TV series revolving Julie Walters's character Mrs. Keogh and the boarding house of which she is in charge. Hereby, this marks the first Best Picture nominee to be directly followed by a spin-off TV series, rather than a sequel.

Oscar Isaac's oil company in the movie is called Standard Heating Oil Co. In Drive (2011) Oscar Isaac's character was called Standard Gabriel. The name of the company can be seen in a scene where Isaac is stood atop one of his trucks with Standard emblazoned in huge writing beneath him.

Now, if Bradley Cooper showed some more inner Gordon Ramsay this movie would have been much better!

Spotlight (2015)The real Walter Robinson said: "My persona has been hijacked. If Michael Keaton robbed a bank, the police would quickly have me in handcuffs".A lot of the Spotlight trivia is like this. A real testament to the amazing job the cast did!About Time (2013)This is the third movie in which Rachel McAdams stars as the love interest of a time traveler. The previous ones were The Time Traveler's Wife (2009), in which she played the titular wife to Eric Bana's character and Midnight in Paris (2011), in which she played the fiancée of Owen Wilson's character.Well that's added two movies to my watch list... I love The Time Travelers Wife, I'm going to go and watch it now!Coherence (2013)Relying on a low budget of $50K, the movie was shot over five nights in a single location with dialogue that was largely improvised.Alien (1979)To get Jones the cat to react fearfully to the descending Alien, a German Shepherd was placed in front of him with a screen between the two, so the cat wouldn't see it at first. The screen was then suddenly removed to make Jones stop advancing and start hissing.Aww, that poor cat! Hehe!!

Saturday, 27 February 2016

Oh my God you guys. I watched the craziest movie the other night. You might remember a while ago I wrote a review for Compliance (2012) which was a recommendation from my Grampy. Only it took me forever to find, because he actually told me it was called Coercion. Well, it seems confusion runs in the family, because I decided that I’d actually watch that the other day, and well, I then proceeded to get that confused with Coherence. Still with me?

Coherence is a little low-budget Sci-Fi Thriller about a group of friends and ex-lovers who meet for a dinner party. There’s strangeness involved from the outset as a comet is passing by overhead, rendering phone lines and the internet useless. There are also reports of phone screens and other glass objects smashing without warning.

If you haven’t seen the movie before and think it sounds like something you’d like to watch, I really urge you to stop reading now and check it out. I won’t talk about spoilers here or anything, but it’s one of those movies best seen without any preconceptions or knowledge about the plot.

Which, in turn, makes this a really difficult movie to review! What I will say is that I’ve never seen anything like it before. Well, that’s a lie. Have you watched the comedy show, Community? Remember the episode about the darkest timeline, where they’re all rolling dice to see who should answer the door? That’s the first thing that came to my mind after watching Coherence.

The story itself is heavily dialogue driven, but at an hour and a half long, the time whizzes by. We get a very brief introduction to our main characters, and by the time the weirdness got cranked up I worried that was all we’d find out, but the movie does a great job of developing each of the characters as the movie goes on.

The ending to Coherence is definitely open to interpretation, and from what I could gather online it got a mixed reaction. Yes, this is the kind of movie you’re going to want to spend an hour looking up once it’s over!

So, this is a bit of a cop-out of a review, I know, but I really wanted to get other people’s thoughts on the movie. Hit us up in the comments section if you’ve seen it, if you don’t mind! If you need me, I’ll be trying to decide whether to track down and watch Coercion, in fear I’ll just add a fourth similar sounding movie into the mix.

Friday, 26 February 2016

We’re way out of our comfort zone this month. I think we’re getting braver, but neither Jenna or I watch horror movies. It’s not even the movie itself that’s so bad, it’s trying to go to bed that night that’s the worst! Also, whilst I won’t speak on behalf of Jenna on this point, I don’t do too well with space movies. They tend to be far too clever for my simple mind to follow. Star Wars is the exception! I'm good with space movies but as someone who lives alone horrors are a big no no, even with someone. Its the countless nights afterwards when I have to check every cupboard and nook and cranny in my house before I can 'safely' go to bed!

Which I guess is why Alien (1979) was the perfect choice for our Blind Spot list. I mean, that’s what it’s all about, right? We teamed up for this one, also joined by my fiance, who somehow claims to love this movie despite being a bigger wuss than I when it comes to horror and also appearing to not know what was going to happen!

Thanks to the super helpful opening scene, I can actually explain the plot of this. A commercial towing spacecraft carrying 20,000,000 tons of mineral ore, named Nostromo, is on it’s way back to Earth, along with it’s 7 crew members. The inside of the Nostromo is quiet, until the crew are awoken by the ship’s computer system, Mother. Turns out, they’re not even close to home. Mother has altered their course after picking up a distress signal from another planet, and the crew are forced to investigate, much to the annoyance of some of them.

There’s so much tension between the crew members here that I’d happily watch them all together completely away from the Sci-Fi components of this movie. Speaking of the crew though, there are some huge names here, some that I embarrassingly only knew once I’d looked them up, too. Collectively, we have Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt), Chief Engineer Parker (Yaphet Cotto), Engineering Technician Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm) and last but certainly not least, Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). I recognised a few of the faces but the only name (other than Sigourney Weaver) I knew was Harry Dean Stanton (because he is Pretty in Pink's dad!!) - we are terrible aren't we....

There are trust issues left, right and centre, grudges held over wages paid, and at some points this crew is on the verge of mutiny. I got so engrossed I forgot what we were watching for a while!

Oh! How could I forget the final crew member, ginger cat Jonesy! Within the first five minutes I felt the need to warn the others, this cat is gonna be an ass. And he was! He was indeed! He got the second biggest jump scare for sure, the little furry bugger. I was rooting for him, though! I was not!! Can you spot the one of us that has pets?

Thankfully, this wasn’t nearly as scary as I feared it would be, but I think that’s just the movie’s age. I do imagine this would have been terrifying when it first came out, and some of the final scenes where Ripley was walking alone around the ship with the flashing lights and the ominous music had me quite tense. I have to admit, I'm not sure that I would personally count this as a typical horror, it had the jumps but I didn't spend the whole time with my head behind a pillow. In fact due to a long day of bridesmaid dress shopping I nearly dozed off a few times!!I expected a bit more from this, I seem to do the same thing every time and forget to account for movies aging. I don't think they have the same impact on us watching for the first time in 2016 as they did for the guys watching it when it came out. The cast were really great and there were some significant twists that I didn't see coming, at all. I loved Sigourney Weaver, she was everything I had heard she would be, a strong lead characters, no sidekick here. My guess is I will get to experience more of her strength in the rest of the films I have yet to see.

I’m really glad I watched Alien. It’s not my go-to movie of choice at all but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve since heard from colleagues around my office that the second movie in the series is even better. Is that the general consensus? My Dad agrees...

Wednesday, 24 February 2016

I’ve been watching a lot of heavy movies recently, trying to catch up on a lot of the Oscar nominations. It’s exhausting! That’s how I found myself on a Sunday night looking for something light and fluffy that I could chill out with. After previously looking up Domhnall Gleeson’s filmography (for blog research purposes, of course) I remembered spotting a movie I’d been curious about for a while, About Time! How its taken you this long to watch this I do not know!!!! Also, I think the real question here is how I have watched this film countless times and never reviewed it?!

Written by Richard Curtis (also responsible for Love Actually and Notting Hill), About Time is the story of Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), and his search for love after discovering at the age of 21 that the men in his family have the ability of time travel. It’s a premise I laughed about 3 years ago when I saw a trailer, but I have a much more open mind now. If you’re a huge sci-fi fan and love time travel theories, you’re going to need to switch off a little, but there’s enough to make the movie stand out from other romances without making itself look silly. Admittedly, the first time I watched this I did overthink the time travel stuff and tried to make it work in my head but once I gave up it was so much better!

All Tim needs to do to activate his powers is hide in a closet, clench his fists, and think hard about the specific time in his life that he wants to go back to. Whereas his Dad (Bill Nighy) used his power to read an inhuman number of books, shy Tim simply wants a girlfriend. He falls in love with his sister’s friend Charlotte (Margot Robbie) who is staying for 2 months, and finally professes his love on her last night with the family. When she tells him he waited too long and should have told her sooner, he does exactly that, only to be told to see how things go and come to her on her last night. Doh. Sorry men, us ladies can be annoying like that sometimes. Oooh I really didn't like Charlotte, who wouldn't love Tim and his bumbling charm, foolish girl!!

This is what makes Tim leave his parent’s home in Cornwall and move to London to live with his Dad’s friend and pursue his career in Law. Only, the world of Law is male dominated, and Tim finds himself constantly stuck with his annoying colleague Rory (Joshua McGuire). A night out at a blind date in the dark restaurant changes everything when Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams), although Tim very quickly realises the problems with the butterfly effect when he travels back in time.The first time I watched this, I felt the butterfly effect coming on and I was panicking, I really wanted him and Mary to get together. I was convinced the whole time however that time travel was going to have a much bigger part in the film. One of my favourite tag lines for the film was "A new funny film about love. With a bit of time travel."

I won’t go any further into the story because it’s so much fun to watch it all unfold. I thought the 2 hour runtime would be far too long, but it moved along at such a fast pace I was actually a bit gutted when the credits rolled! I wouldn’t class About Time as a comedy as such, but there’s one scene in particular that had me laughing out loud so hard I cried. It was the combination of typical British weather on a majorly important day, and the dramatic, Italian music playing that was just pure comedic genius! Agreed, loved that scene! My favourite, had to be the repeated bedroom scene!I still watch this over and over again, i still laugh, cry and fell completely gutted when its over. Domnhall Gleeson provides perfect geeky charm, while Rachel McAdams is her usual lovable self. Everything about it is just perfect.

This could have been such a cliche movie, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever watched before, and tugged on my heartstrings in ways I didn’t know was possible. It didn’t end the way I was expecting at all, and really made me re-evaluate how to find happiness.

Monday, 22 February 2016

This is the one I’ve been waiting for! I haven’t been enjoying the Oscar movies as much as I hoped I would this year, but every time I’ve gone to the cinema I’ve gotten a little more excited for Spotlight. We’ve had to wait for it for so long in the UK! I wasn't even remotely looking forward to this for two reasons, I had a feeling the story was going to stay with me for a while (I wasn't wrong!) and it seemed very talky, I wasn't convinced it was going to hold my attention.

Spotlight is the retelling of the true story of how the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team uncovered the horrendous scandal of child molestation within the Catholic churches, and the cover ups that came with it. It’s one of those movies, just like The Big Short, that covers a real life story that I’m aware of, yet know very little about, which is what made both so appealing to me.

I’m writing this the day after watching Spotlight, and I honestly don’t know where to start. I didn’t sleep well, it played on my mind that much. I’m growing a bit of a fascination with journalistic movies, having watched Zodiac and Nightcrawler most recently, so this was right up my street. I was enthralled within the first 10 minutes, the big offices of the Boston Globe reminded me of somewhere I used to work, and the leaving speech just brought back happy, but cringey memories.

I think what helped was the casting choices for the main Spotlight team. They’re all such likeable characters, with genuine chemistry, and it honestly felt like I was watching a documentary about a team that had been working with each other for years, rather than a movie. Each of the characters begins their year-long investigation with professional courtesy, but as the story unfolds and the scandal grows, you can see it affect each of them on a personal level, and it’s in the second half when the tensions are running higher that you see just how well they can all act.I really loved the fact that you bought in to every single character without having to spend ages delving into their personal lives, there was the odd passing comment about their lives here and there, Mikes marriage problems for example. The film was completely focused on the investigation and the victims, this made it all the more difficult to watch for me, normally when a film is unsettling, I will focus on the other mini stories that are running through it. This didn't have that option so you had no choice but to concentrate on the traumatic experiences of these victims.

Behind my awe however, lay an unsettling feeling of sorts. It’s so uncomfortable to listen to the stories of the survivors and victims of abuse. It’s one thing to read about it, but to hear someone say it out loud, it made me feel nauseous. There’s one scene in particular where Sacha (Rachel McAdams) is talking with a survivor as they walk through the town, straight past a huge church, with a children’s playground right in front of it. That’s an image I won’t be forgetting for a while.

Although it was already in the trailer, so I'd heard it before, there was a line of Michael Keaton’s that just stood out for me from everything else. “We got two stories here: a story about degenerate clergy, and a story about a bunch of lawyers turning child abuse into a cottage industry. Which story do you want us to write? Because we're writing one of them.” That was such a turning point! There were some great lines in this film that really drew an impact but for me it was all about Mark Ruffalo, I can see why he is up for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. The way he delivered each and every line showed every inch of emotion that the real Mike Rezendes must have felt. This one stood out for me "It's time! They knew and they let it happen! To KIDS! Okay? It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!"

Just over 2 hours passed, and as the final words came onto the screen, I felt a rush of different emotions. Disappointment, firstly, that this movie was over already. I didn’t know where the time had gone. Then came anger and disgust at the reality of the story, that lingered with me as I went to bed. Then, the morning after, or now, as I type this, amazement at just how brilliant this movie is. Those final words on the screen literally broke my heart, it was horrifying to think of how many people were effected by the church and the subsequent cover ups.

Saturday, 20 February 2016

Hello pet lovers! Did you know that today, 20th February, is National Love Your Pet Day? I’ve had pets all of my life, and when I moved out of my parents house two and a half years ago to live with my fiance, the house wasn’t a place I could call home without pets around. Thankfully, just 6 months after moving in, we agreed to get two kittens to liven up the place. Well, they certainly aren’t kittens anymore! Here is where me and Allie are soooo different, I don't like animals, I have no desire to have a pet and I have an irrational fear of dogs (this makes most dog lovers hate me!) and don't even get me started on farm animals!!

Meet our cats, Sherlock and Loki (also known as furr babies, fluff bums, buttholes, and other endearing terms) Most of the time we call them Sherly-Bum and Loki-Moo. I have no idea why. Our vets actually think Sherlock is a lady cat named Shirley now. Whoops. I have to admit, I don't mind these pair, even when I go home from movie night covered in cat hair!

Anyway, before I drift dramatically off course, let's bring this back to something movie related. In the spirit of National Love Your Pet Day, I wanted to share some of the best pets in movies. Let me know in the comments section which pets you’d include!

I was never a dog lover until my parents got a Cockapoo 8 years ago. In fact, I was scared of him for the first week they had him. Now, I can’t actually pass a dog without saying hello! My point is, I watched Marley & Me (2008) before they got him, and so I wasn’t expecting the gut wrenching heartache this movie caused me. I’ve never been able to re-watch it! I really want to, because I can remember how funny it was, but I can’t go through that ending again. I am in the same boat, being terrified of dogs I assumed I wouldn't be affected by a sad dog movie, man was I wrong, I sobbed my little heart out!

Now, when I said ‘best’ pets, I didn’t mean well behaved. In fact, this statement stands for any cats picked. Lets face it, as much as we love our feline friends, the feeling isn’t always mutual, as much as we like to think so. Ulysses, the cat in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) that Llewyn accidently locks out brings a lot of comedic relief to the movie, and I can only imagine what it must have been like filming those subway scenes!

In The Voices (2014), Ryan Reynolds hears voices. Specifically, the voices of his dog Bosco and his cat Mr Whiskers. It’s quite a grim horror/comedy, but a lot of the laughs come from these 2 pets. Bosco is very much a typical dog, telling his owner how much he loves him and pestering him to go on a dog walk, and well, I really shouldn’t repeat any of Mr Whiskers’ lines, but he gets grouchy when his food his late. When I say grouchy, I mean sweary!

Moving into animated territory, The Croods (2013) features 2 adorable pets. There’s Douglas, a cross between a crocodile and a puppy, who meets an unfortunate fate when doing ‘rollover’ tricks on a cliff edge (don’t panic, he’s okay) and the amazingly fluffy Chunky, a huge cross between a macaw and a sabre-toothed tiger amazingly enough. He starts out as one of the movie’s biggest villains, but as it turns out, who’s actually a big softy, and he joins the disjointed Croods family. I was so sad when Douglas rolled over, I really thought he was a goner!

If Marley & Me made you cry, wait till you see the trailer for Max (2015). Max served his owner in the US Marines in Afghanistan but is left with PTSD after a terrible accident. It’s decided Max needs to be put down due to his aggressive outbursts, but he responds well to his owner’s brother Justin who takes him in and attempts to rehabilitate him. It’s actually a very different movie from Marley & Me, but a perfect family movie. Oh my gosh, I thought nothing of watching this and then I spent the first 40 minutes crying and the last 40 minutes angry that they turned a really good concept into a terrible Disney action movie!

You’ll see more of Alien (1979) on this blog in a few days, as it was our February choice for the Blind Spot Series! With it so fresh in my mind, I couldn’t disclude Jonesy from this list. Every work space, be it office or spaceship, should have a cat I think, but perhaps not during a crisis. You can guarantee that cat will hide in the smallest space possible, ready to scare the living daylights out of you. He’s so cute, though. That cat.......

Feast (2014) is a beautiful 6 minute Disney short shown before Big Hero 6. It tells a love story through the eyes of the dog, Winston, who is used to his male owner feeding him all sorts of junk food (which real-life doggies should definitely not eat!). When his owner falls in love with a vegan waitress, Winston’s diet changes dramatically, and I’m still not sure how a 6 minute animation about a dog and food made me cry so much! I forgot all about this, I loved it! I felt so sorry for him when he had to eat rubbish healthy food, its exactly how I feel every January when I start the obligatory New Year diet....

Cats are known to be extremely choosy in who they show affection for, and this couldn’t be truer in The Hunger Games series. Primrose’s cat Buttercup thinks the world of Prim, but can’t stand Katniss, often hissing at her. I suppose Katniss did threaten to drown her in a bucket, so the feeling is mutual. As distressing as the final half hour of Mockingjay: Part 2 was, the reunion of Katniss and Buttercup killed me a little on the inside. The book destroyed me. Sob! This is an example of an animal that I was not at all bothered about, I couldn't care less who she liked or didn't like and I could have happily not had her included at all. Reading this back, it seems a little harsh but still true!

I could pick all sorts of pets from the Harry Potter series! Scabbers, Crookshanks, Mrs Norris...the list is endless. But for now, let me focus on Hedwig, Harry’s first pet, a snowy owl gifted to Harry by Hagrid for his 11th Birthday, and his initiation to the wizarding world. Hedwig was one of the smartest creatures around, delivering letters all over the world, and craftily nipping Harry on the hand when she didn’t receive enough reward for her work.

Friday, 19 February 2016

I was so excited when I saw the trailer for Sisters (2015) months ago that I can’t believe I missed it at the cinema! Everything just got drowned out with Star Wars, I think. After binge watching 30 Rock and Parks and Rec, and deciding that Liz Lemon and Leslie Knope were the best friends I needed, I had really high hopes for this. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as sisters, this can never go wrong! It was really funny. Perhaps not up there with my favourite comedies of all time, but one I’ll happily watch time and time again.

Spiralling into Poe Dameron hell heaven, I convinced my fiance to watch A Most Violent Year (2014) with me. “It’s a crime/drama darling, you’ll love it. What do you mean it has Oscar Isaac in? Was he in Star Wars? I had no idea.” It was actually a really gripping drama about an honest, hard working guy desperately trying to keep his business growing and his family safe during what was the most dangerous year in New York City.

I think the only reason I didn’t love it so much was that considering it’s name, it wasn’t really that violent? That sounds awful I know, but all I really mean is it wasn’t the movie I was expecting. I still really enjoyed it!

I love Bradley Cooper. I love food. I love movies. Combine all three and I thought this was the recipe to my heart. Har har har! I even picked this as my ‘Looking Forward’ choice for whatever month this came out in. In my defense, it was a slow month anyway, but I was genuinely looking forward to seeing Burnt (2015). Well, when your dinner is served burnt, you’re disappointed, and I was disappointed with this movie. I didn’t mind the pretentiousness of everything it offered, but every single character was unlikeable, and I didn’t care who succeeded. Not a boring movie at all, but a disappointment.

Thursday, 18 February 2016

It's Thursday! Time for Movie Picks. If you're new to this, Thursday Movie Picks is a fantastic series hosted by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, where each week she picks a theme and we all choose 3 movies that we feel fit.

This week’s theme is Movies with Memorable Declarations/Confessions of Love, and it’s also the first theme this month where I haven’t needed to Google what it meant (doh!). I’m going to try to make it through this whole post without mentioning that two-worded movie beginning with L and A...I think I’ve used it twice so far for this series...stay strong Allie, stay strong…

I shamefully watched When Harry Met Sally (1989) for the first time last year, and it quickly became one of my favourite rom coms. Not only does it have that classic scene we all seem to know whether we’ve seen the movie or not (“I’ll have what she’s having”) but it also has one of the sweetest declarations of love ever, as Harry (Billy Crystal) runs through the streets of New York to finally tell Sally (Meg Ryan) how he really feels.

“I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour-and-a-half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that when I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes; and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.”

This week is proof that I will take any excuse I can to talk about Star Wars. In my defence though, one of the biggest highlights of watching the original movies was watching the romance between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) grow. Never did I think I could really fall for Harrison Ford, until that cocky smuggler Han Solo stole every scene he was in. Let’s not forget that moment in Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) when Princess Leia finally gave in and told Han how she felt.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

Moving swiftly on to guilty pleasure territory! I’ve lost count of how many times my fiance and I have watched The Proposal (2009), it’ll just never get boring. Plus, 3 years ago when we were in New York on holiday flicking through channels in our hotel room, this was on! Funnily, the very next day we went to the top of the Rockefeller Center and he proposed to me! There you go, off topic rambles from me there. Anyway. Andrew’s (Ryan Reynolds) confession of love to Margaret (Sandra Bullock) at the end of the movie was equal parts sweet and hilarious.

“Three days ago, I loathed you. I used to dream about you getting hit by a cab. Then we had our little adventure up in Alaska and things started to changed. Things changed when we kissed. And when you told me about your tattoo. Even when you checked me out when we were naked. But I didn't realize any of this, until I was standing alone... in a barn... wifeless. Now, you could imagine my disappointment when it suddenly dawned on me that the woman I love is about to be kicked out of the country. So Margaret, marry me, because I'd like to date you.”

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

How is it Oscar time again already?! I'm so excited this year, I've been counting down the days until the nominations were released and i'm looking forward to trying (again) to watch all the major players before the big day! Last year me and Allie decided it would be a good idea to stay awake and watch the whole thing live, which was fine for me when it finished at 5am because I booked a days holiday but poor Allie drove home at around 3am I think and actually got up for work the next morning! Now that is commitment! However, this year due to Allie's awesome Honeymoon plans (and therefore lack of holiday days) we are both avoiding all social media all day on Monday 29th while at work and will be watching a recorded version of the awards. No live tweeting this time from us unfortunately!I'm so scared for that Monday. If we can both go through the whole day without hearing anything I'll be amazed! I also want to throw out a disclaimer for my own 'predictions'. There is no actual logic or knowledge behind mine at all, ha!

Best Picture - Nominees

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
SpotlightJenna's Prediction - I have a feeling The Revenant is going to take this home due to the sheer volume of nominations but I would love The Martian to take this home.Allie's Prediction - I'd be happy for many of these to win to be honest, unlike last year, I think it'll be The Revenant but I would absolutely love it if Spotlight won!

Jenna's Prediction - Everyone knows what I am going to say, if Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't win I will boycott all future Oscars!

Allie's Prediction - What is the internet going to do when it can't campaign for Leo's Oscar anymore? What are you going to do, Jenna?! Leonardo DiCaprio does deserve it, though, I can't argue with that.

Jenna's Prediction - I haven't seen all of these yet, however Brie Larson was absolutely incredible in Room so I am 100% rooting for her.

Allie's Prediction - This is my most appalling category, I haven't seen nearly all of these but I agree with your pick of Brie Larson.

Best Supporting Actor - Nominees

Christian Bale - The Big Short
Tom Hardy - The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - CreedJenna's Prediction - I can't decide between Tom Hardy and Mark Rylance in this category but I would be happy with either.Allie's Prediction - You can't have two guesses! I'd be so happy if it went to Tom Hardy or Mark Ruffalo, but I've heard a lot of buzz about Sylvester Stallone winning it! How cool would that be?!

Best Supporting Actress - Nominees

Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet - Steve JobsJenna's Prediction - I think there is a good chance Alicia Vikander will take this home, they seem to be swaying towards new up and comers in recent years.Allie's Prediction - Arghh I don't know who I want to pick for this category! You chose 2 for the last one so I'm going with Jennifer Jason Leigh or Rachel McAdams. I loved them both!

Best Animated Feature - Nominees

Anomalisa
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep
Boy and the World
When Marnie Was ThereJenna's Prediction - Its got to be Inside Out this year, if only to make up for The Lego Movie snub last year!Allie's Prediction - I really think Inside Out deserves this, but I've heard amazing things about Anomalisa which has me scared. Still going with Inside Out though!

Best Cinematography - NomineesCarolHateful EightMad Max: Fury RoadThe RevenantSicarioJenna's Prediction - I would love for Mad Max: Fury Road to take this one but I think it will be The Revenant.Allie's Prediction - Same! I'd be super happy if it went to Sicario, but I think it'll be The Revenant.

Best Director - NomineesAdam Mckay - The Big Short
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G Inarritu - The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson - Room
Tom McCarthy - SpotlightJenna's Prediction - It think there is a good chance it will be two years running for Alejandro G Inarritu and The Revenant

Allie's Prediction - I love Alejandro G Inarritu's work and I think he'll win it but I really want this one to go to George Millerfor Mad Max: Fury Road.

Best Film Editing - NomineesThe Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
SpotlightJenna's Prediction - Urm I don't really know much about editing to be honest so I will go with The Revenant as I think it will be a big winner on the night.

Allie's Prediction - Does lots of editing mean best editing?If so I'd go with The Big Short here. I'll never complain about a Star Wars win though. But Mad Max too....I don't like making decisions. I'll go Mad Max!

Best Foreign Language Film - NomineesEmbrace of the Serpant
Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb
A WarJenna's Prediction - I will take a complete stab in the dark with A WarAllie's Prediction - Our stab in the dark guesses failed last year but I'll try again too...TheebBest Make Up and Hair Styling - NomineesMad Max: Fury Road
The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
The RevenantJenna's Prediction - For the amazing work on all the wounds and such The Revenant will surely take this one home.Allie's Prediction - Arghhh but Fury Road! I want to say The Revenant...but Fury Road...screw it! Mad Max: Fury Road.

Best Original Score - NomineesBridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force AwakensJenna's Prediction - I would guess Star Wars: The Force Awakens, who doesn't love the score in Star Wars.Allie's Prediction -I'm actually surprised that was even eligible! It's so iconic though, I'd be so happy if it won but I loved the music in The Hateful Eight...argh! Let's go Hateful Eight. I haven't picked that yet. This method got me through school tests okay?

Best Original Song - Nominees"Earned It" - 50 Shades of Grey
"Til It Happens To You" - The Hunting Ground
"Writings On The Wall" - Spectre
"Manta Ray" - Racing Extinction
"Simple Song 3" - YouthJenna's Prediction - I'll let Allie tell you her thoughts on this category but I reckon Writings on the Wall will win.Allie's Prediction - Come on guys...how funny is it going to be if Earned It wins it, and Fifty Shades becomes an Oscar Winning movie! I'm going with it. Let's do this. Plus I can't stand Writings on the Wall...it got so over played last year.

Best Production Design - NomineesBridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The RevenantJenna's Prediction - This is tough to call but I think The Martian will beat out the others.

Allie's Prediction - Pfffff! So The Revenant is tipped to be the big winner on the night and I haven't actually picked it for much yet so let's go with that!Best Sound Editing - NomineesMad Max : Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force AwakensJenna's Prediction - I struggle with this one and mixing because I really have no idea what they mean, so I will guess at Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing - NomineesBridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force AwakensJenna's Prediction - Do the same films usually win this and editing or not?! I should really do some research! Urm Bridge of Spies.Allie's Prediction - I'd like to apologise to the men and women who dedicate their lives to this work, that I have no knowledge on whatsoever. Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Best Visual Effects - NomineesEx Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force AwakensJenna's Prediction - Any of these could easily take this one but I think it will be Star Wars: The Force AwakensAllie's Prediction - I think it even stands a chance but Ava herself is simply amazing, so I'm team Ex Machina all the way! I think Mad Max will win this one though. Again though, I'll never complain at a Star Wars win.

Best Adapted Screenplay - NomineesThe Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
RoomJenna's Prediction - Hands down, The Martian should win this.Allie's Prediction - I don't know! The Big Short managed to make such a boring topic really funny, so that's what I'm betting on.

Best Original Screenplay - NomineesBridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta ComptonJenna's Prediction - I would like to seeEx Machina or Inside Outtake this but I think it will be Bridge of Spies.Allie's Prediction - This is another category I have so much love for! I'm going with Spotlight, even though my heart wants Inside Out...